NAACP cheers release of Black Panther convicted of cop killing

A police officer stands outside the apartment building where actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in Manhattan, New York February 2, 2014. REUTERS/John Taggart

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As a media firestorm erupts over the failed nomination of Mumia abu-Jamal’s former lawyer to head up the Department of Justice’s civil rights division, a similar figure to abu-Jamal was released from jail on Tuesday after serving time for the murder of a Baltimore police officer.

The NAACP praised the release of Marshall “Eddie” Conway, a former Black Panther leader.

The NAACP fought for the release of Conway, who was convicted in 197o for the killing of Officer Donald Sager. Sager was gunned down after responding to a domestic disturbance call by three assailants. It was argued in court that Sager was killed in a Black Panther initiatory rite that required the two men that participated to prove their loyalty.

Conway was not released due to new evidence that placed doubt on his involvement — he was released due to a Maryland Court of Appeals ruling that invalidated many pre-1980 verdicts due to irregular jury instructions.

The son of the slain officer expressed his disillusionment at the ruling and said he was devastated by the fact that Conway now walks free.

“My mother passed away two years ago, and in a way I’m glad that she’s not around to see this,” David Sager told The Baltimore Sun. “This is a very sad day. I think this is another tragedy on our justice system, one of a string of tragedies.”

The Baltimore Police Union also expressed their dissatisfaction with the ruling and a spokesman stated that Conway should’ve served the entirety of his sentence — life.

“It’s a difficult thing to learn after all these years that he’s not going to fulfill the sentence he was given, which was death,” the vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police said.